There are so many products made using aloe vera plant including medicines, beauty products, soaps and shampoos.
In this article we discuss a very popular one – aloe vera shampoo.
If you talk to a reputed doctor he will tell you that most shampoos in the market today can actually do more harm than good to your hair primarily because they are harsh.
But the so called ‘soft’ / ‘gentle’ shampoos are very expensive! What to do? There exists an alternative – herbal shampoos. Aloe vera based shampoos are one of them.
Before I go ahead and talk about aloe vera shampoos, here are some quick insights on aloe vera.
About Aloe Vera
Let us learn about aloe vera a bit before I go ahead and discuss aloe vera shampoo. Aloe vera is a perennial evergreen plant that grows to heights of around 2-4 feet.
The leaves are widely used for their medicinal benefits.
The fleshy and succulent leaves contain a translucent gel. The latex from the leaves is also used for therapeutic purposes.
The leaf extracts are used for cosmetic purposes, to treat various skin conditions like burns, wounds, acne, stomach ailments, as a laxative and more.
While aloe vera gel contains 99% water, the remaining 1% is rich in polysaccharides that help with skin repair and skin growth and glycoproteins that can help the healing process and reduce inflammation and pain.
Aloe Vera Shampoo and its Benefits
Aloe vera gel possesses anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that can benefit the hair.
Many hair styling products, shampoos, and conditioners are available in the market that uses aloe vera gel as a key ingredient.
Aloe vera shampoo offers several key benefits for our hair.
Dandruff and itchy scalp: Bacteria and fungi in the environment can affect our scalp and cause excess production of sebum oil. This can irritate the scalp and cause dandruff.
Aloe vera shampoo can alleviate dandruff symptoms.
If you have an aloe vera plant at home, you can take a few leaves, slice them lengthwise, scrape off the gel and use this on your scalp or add it to a mild herbal shampoo when washing your hair.
Aloe vera gel contains proteolytic enzymes.
These can help break down dead skin cells, exfoliate the scalp and slough off dead skin. This process can prevent dandruff.
The antipruritic benefits of aloe vera help relieve itchiness caused by dandruff.
Strong and thick hair: Anyone who wants strong, lustrous and thick hair can choose aloe vera conditioners.
This gel can be used with other herbal products and nourishes hair from root to tip. It can open up pores on the scalp and exfoliate follicles.
Keratin is a hair protein.
Aloe vera gel contains a chemical like keratin that can penetrate the full length of hair and provide it with essential amino acids that give in luster and strength.
Hairstyling made easy: Hairstyles like dreadlocks which require rolling, braiding and twisting of hair can benefit from using aloe vera gel.
You can get pure aloe vera gel in the market or make some at home.
For dreadlocks, you can separate your hair, take one lock and saturate it with the gel. Aloe vera gel helps to protect and maintain your hair.
Is Aloe Vera Shampoo Better Than Traditional Shampoos?
There are hundreds of shampoo varieties available in the market.
So why should you choose one containing aloe vera over the traditional shampoos?
We enjoy the lather that a good shampoo creates.
This is a result of various forms of sulfate used in them.
Sulfate affects different hair types in different ways. Oily hair types produce excess sebum. It is possible that sulfate shampoos could damage oily hair without us even realizing it.
Curlier hair does not allow sebum to travel easily and when traditional shampoos are applied, the lather can strip the hair causing thinning, dryness and breakage.
Hence, traditional shampoos which contain sulfate dry out hair quickly. Using a cleanser or conditioner without sulfate is essential to prevent loss of sebum.
Organic / herbal shampoos, conditioners, and cleaners which do not use sulfates are less harsh on hair.
They can help revive your scalp.
You can select the shampoo with the right organic ingredient for your hair. True organic shampoos infuse hair follicles with herbal extracts, natural minerals, and oils.
They are gentle on the hair. Anyone who wants a shampoo that is a powerful conditioner and will give strong healthy hair can opt for aloe vera.
Other ingredients that are good for the hair are organic green tea, shea butter, coconut oil and more.
Some people could develop sensitivity to traditional synthetic shampoos. Organic shampoos such as that of aloe vera do not cause such side effects besides cleaning hair gently and keeping it soft.
Using aloe vera shampoos, cleaners or conditioners can even protect our scalp from sunburn.
Those with thin hair can suffer from scalp damage due to sunrays penetrating it. Aloe vera gel can soothe the sunburnt scalp and ease the pain and irritation.
Homemade Organic Aloe Vera Shampoo
There are many organic products available that allow you to make your own organic shampoo at home. Most of these are available at health stores.
Ingredients which can be used for homemade organic shampoos are:
Aloe vera juice
- Apple cider vinegar (20% dilution)
- Castile soap (at least 50% dilution
- Baking soda
- Rhassoul or Bentonite Clay
- Distilled water
The organic shampoo will not lather and you may not feel your hair is clean. However, your hair will suffer less damage.
Buying Aloe Vera Shampoos Online
When purchasing organic shampoos make sure you read the label.
Some shampoos claim to be 100% natural and organic but may not be so.
For example, if there are around 10 ingredients in it, you will find that at least a couple maybe synthetic. Some ingredients it maybe wise to avoid are:
- Sodium laureth sulfate
- Ammonium laureth sulfate
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Myreth sulfate
- Ammonium layryl sulfate
- Olefin Sulfonate
- Propylene glycol
Here are some types of organic aloe vera shampoos that are available at online stores.
- ‘Holland and Barrett’ – ‘Dr Organic Aloe Vera Shampoo’ is a gentle and mild shampoo. It is ideal for both normal and dry hair and for all scalp types. Use as often as possible. It can protect hair, prevent split ends and nourishes the scalp leaving both scalp and hair hydrated, soft and manageable. Product reviews gives it an overall 4/5 star rating.
- ‘Daily Aloe Shampoo’ from ‘Green People’ is a gentle, soothing natural shampoo that contains organic aloe vera that is suitable for all types of hair. It is also suitable for those with scalp conditions like psoriasis and eczema. It is made using a pure non-irritating formula and contains no SLS, ethyl alcohol or artificial fragrances. It has a natural lavender fragrance. This shampoo can be used every day followed by ‘Daily Aloe Conditioner’ also from ‘Green People’.
Amazon.com has several aloe vera shampoos. Some of them are ‘Jason Natural 84% Pure Aloe Vera Shampoo’, ‘Nature’s Gate Aloe Vera Moisturizing Shampoo’, ‘Suave Naturals Aloe Vera & Water Lily Shampoo’ and more.
You can compare prices and ingredients as well as user reviews before purchasing any of these shampoos.
Have you used Aloe Vera shampoos? If you have provide your feedback on what you think about it!